Last November, unbossed reported on NSSE - the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)'s most recent report. And in December on Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE). Lessee what's next? How about LSSSE?
The 2006 Law School Survey of Student Engagement (LSSSE) explores the value of faculty-student interaction to the development of law students. Here is a summary of report findings I found especially relevant to my experiences with law school.
The report notes that even though prompt feedback is a critical component of learning, law students rarely receive any feedback other than their grade on an exam at the end of the term.
The report notes first, Promising Findings. Here are a few of them.
• Almost half (48%) of all respondents frequently (“often” or “very often”) contributed to class discussions or asked questions in class.
• Four in five students said that their coursework substantially emphasized (“quite a bit” or “very much”) applying theories or concepts to practical problems or new situations.
• More than half (51%) of law student respondents said they frequently worked harder than they thought they could to meet the expectations of a faculty member.
• Three in five students frequently had serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity.
• Nearly 30% of all respondents frequently collaborated with other students outside of class to prepare assignments. More than four in five students (84%) collaborated with their peers to prepare assignments at least occasionally.
It then lists Disappointing Findings
• Nearly a third of 3L respondents (32%) reported that they had not done any pro bono or volunteer work during law school, and had no plans to do so.
• About 15% of 1Ls and one quarter (24%) of 2Ls never received prompt feedback from faculty members.
• One in three 3Ls (31%) spent fewer than eleven hours per week reading and preparing for class.
• More than a third of all law students spent no time during the week participating in law-school sponsored organizations such as clubs, journal, committees, moot court, etc.
• One in four 1Ls (26%) never used job search assistance at their law school.
• More than two thirds (67%) of those students who wish to work for public interest organizations after law school will owe more than $60,000 upon graduation.
The report emphasizes the importance of the student-professor relationship in the education of law students and helping prepare them for their careers as lawyers.
• Students who perceived their professors to be available, helpful and sympathetic were more positive about their law school experiences.
• Student-faculty interaction was more strongly related to students’ self-reported gains in analytical ability than time spent studying, cocurricular activities, or even the amount of academic effort they put forth.
. . .
[S]tudent-faculty contact was more important to the ethical dimensions of the practice of law than participating in such activities as pro bono work, internships, moot court, and law school organizations or the student’s area of specialization or intended practice area.• Students who received prompt feedback from faculty reported greater gains in their ability to synthesize and apply concepts and ideas.
• Students who received prompt written or oral feedback spent more time preparing for class. Only 10% of 2Ls and 3Ls who “never” received prompt feedback spent more than 15 hours per week studying and preparing for class, while approximately 25% of those who received feedback “very often” spent more than 15 hours per week studying and preparing (26% of 2Ls and 23% of 3Ls).
• Those students who more often received prompt feedback were more likely to say they worked harder than they thought they could to meet the expectations of faculty members.
The report notes the importance of student collaboration in the learning process:
• Almost half (46%) of those students who did in-class collaborative work “very often” reported strong gains (“very much”) in writing skills, while only 27% of those who “never” did collaborative work reported similar gains.
• 59% of students who did collaborative work “very often” reported strong gains in critical and analytical thinking, compared to only 41% of those who “never” did collaborative work.
The report also explores the importance and availability of interactions with a diverse student body - diverse in terms of gender, race, religion, and political viewpoint.
One of the key findings, in my view, is the importance of being a demanding teacher - pushing students to excel.
Professors who expect more of their students typically get more in return. Students who felt that their law schools strongly emphasized academic rigor were more likely to spend more time reading and preparing for class, and reported greater gains in legal and higher order thinking skills.
Similarly, those students who worked harder than they thought they could to meet the high expectations set by their professors also reported higher gains in these areas.
By communicating reasonably high expectations to students, law school faculty and administrators challenge students to perform at higher levels.
As a teacher, this certainly resonates with my experience. Providing a collaborative learning environment, treating student with respect and compassion, and demanding that they always do their best are critical components of the training of lawyers.
Indeed, I think many of these findings will apply to other sorts of schools.
In the case of law school, they are especially important, because in their careers lawyers will have great power over the lives and welfare of other people. It is important to conduct law school education in a way that conveys the seriousness of that trust and responsibility.
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